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Is being self taught really something to brag about? (Rant)

I<34080

I<34080

Oct 7, 2007
1,358
58
North Carolina
#1
Or is it really just something you say to impress other people/excuse yourself from not knowing more about your instrument?

I'm self taught. Its the best route in my opinion. It let's you develop your own playing style, rather than learning someone elses way. Just ask somebody like [Name removed], the stuff I'm playing now is wayy different than most. I couldn't even tell you the names of some of the chords I've thrown into my own songs. Just goof around till it sounds cool!

Right, because a few months of lessons to get you on your way prevents you from playing like yourself, and Heaven forbid I'm interested enough in music to know what notes I'm playing.

Now, that was taken from a guitard and not a bassist, but I can see anyone on any instrument saying something similar.
 
#2
I have been playing for 33 years. I am completely self taught. I have been told by Berklee trained musicians that I am the best bass player they have ever played with. I have played with and opened for many famous musicians. Everyone is different. Some people do better with formal training and others do not. I do not look at being self taught as an advantage or disadvantage.
 
#4
I<34080 said:
Or is it really just something you say to impress other people/excuse yourself from not knowing more about your instrument?

I'm self taught. Its the best route in my opinion. It let's you develop your own playing style, rather than learning someone elses way. Just ask somebody like [Name removed], the stuff I'm playing now is wayy different than most. I couldn't even tell you the names of some of the chords I've thrown into my own songs. Just goof around till it sounds cool!

Right, because a few months of lessons to get you on your way prevents you from playing like yourself, and Heaven forbid I'm interested enough in music to know what notes I'm playing.

Now, that was taken from a guitard and not a bassist, but I can see anyone on any instrument saying something similar.
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Well, "bragging" about it is a turn off. Just like a (man) who says he's self made IF he is boasting about it. Nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments, but boasting bothers me.

Now teaching yourself does have advantages but there is nothing wrong with learning how to read music if you want. Or be traditionally taught....charts...scales etc.

My personal opinion however, I'll take a self taught player any time over a "properly" trained player. Why? Because in my experience, (30 years) when I have worked with a studio musician (guitarist mainly)who was trained and could read music, the heart was missing. It was just a job to them.
 
#6
I'm mostly self taught (minus some theory) and happen to be a decent bassist, but I would never suggest others to take the same path as me. I had about 4 years of sax under my belt before picking up the bass, so I kinda already knew how to practice and what it took to become a good player.

Some people use it as a bragging tool, but I think those people are a somewhat narrow minded. There's no shame it taking lessons. In fact, I wish I had enough spare money right now to take lessons. There's always room for improvement.
 
#7
I do think being a trained musician is advantegeous, especially learning the basics.

Though I believe self-studies are vital in terms of internalizing different musical concepts, 75% of learning is ones own responsibility, teachers are more there for filling tiny little holes and smoothing out kinks.
 
#8
I'm partly self taught (although high school music class and private theory lessons helped quite a lot), and although I'm proud of that fact, I'm really thinking about taking some lessons when I get back to my home country.
I think it just depends on what kind of player you are and what you want to be, and whether or not you have the drive to be that player.

In some cases though, it can be a huge hindrance to the other musicians you play with, depending on how much knowledge/skill you have. The guitarist I'm currently playing with is entirely self taught, has a great ear and a decent sense of melody, but he can't call out chord changes or the name of the key he's in. It's a serious problem when he wants to jam because he tries to take the lead roll, but he's so all over the place that he's difficult to read and follow on his changes, especially because he doesn't call his changes.
 
#9
It's kind of like Aloha or Shalom - it can mean different things at different time:

Hot Girl at Bar: "Wow, you're really good!"
Me: "Thanks, I'm completely self-taught."

Guy in band I'm auditioning for: "Play an F#demented with a flatted 5th"
Me: "Umm, what is that? I'm self-taught."
 
#11
I've got a view on this which is sorta self-contradictory (and I stress it's MY opinion only);

Unless you live in the middle of the desert, or on a deserted uncharted island, you're NOT self-taught. Every time you listen to a song on the radio, figure out a song off a CD, go to a concert, watch a YouTube vid, etc., you're being taught something.

On the other hand, no matter what teachers you have, whether your buddy who shows you a C major scale, or the full Berklee experience, they can only present the information; it's up to you to actually absorb it. So in a way everybody's self-taught.

Errr... what was the question again?
 
#12
I am completely self-taught. And I mean more on the "self" and less on the "taught". I never even bought any books - just a bass, amp, and started jamming to cds through trial and error. Music is something I`ve always gone through cycles on; I`ll play every day for a year, and then slack off until months go by without picking it up. The reason, I believe, that I periodically lose interest is that I don`t put enough time into the education side of it. That, coupled with developing bad habits and such, greatly limits me. So, I don`t see "self-taught" as a badge of honor, at least in my case. It was a very stupid route, actually. While I can perform songs that I learn pretty well, I somewhat feel like a charlatan instead of a musician. I would love to be able to take some lessons, but due to career / family/ financial obligations at this stage in my life, it`s just not in the cards. As well, home study is kinda out too, because I just don`t have the luxury of time and consistency needed to do it right. I am the first to recommend to ANYBODY: take lessons, even if only for a little while. Doesn`t matter how old you are, how long you`ve been playing, etc. - everyone who`s never had lessons can benefit from it.
 
#13
Ric5 said:
Frank Zappa was completely self taught.
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He was not formally taught by anyone, but you better believe that he listened to others around him. He read anything on music that he could find, and knew music theory inside and out. He also studied Middle Eastern music and scales extensively. I'm pretty sure that he didn't create the genre or the scales and quarter tones behind Middle Eastern music on his own, and didn't come up with the hypotheses described in music theory on his own, and that he did learn about it from some other source.

As such, to say that he's 'self taught' is really nebulous and fuzzy.
 
#14
phatbass said:
I've got a view on this which is sorta self-contradictory (and I stress it's MY opinion only);

Unless you live in the middle of the desert, or on a deserted uncharted island, you're NOT self-taught. Every time you listen to a song on the radio, figure out a song off a CD, go to a concert, watch a YouTube vid, etc., you're being taught something.

On the other hand, no matter what teachers you have, whether your buddy who shows you a C major scale, or the full Berklee experience, they can only present the information; it's up to you to actually absorb it. So in a way everybody's self-taught.
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Well spoken.

I don't think there is a right or wrong to the question of being self-taught or classically trained. There are advantages and disadvantages to either, but IMO it mostly comes down to what YOU want to do and what your personal expectations and hopes are for where you want to take your playing.

You want to be a serious composer or studio musician, you should probably get some schoolin'.

But if you just want to be able to jam along with CDs or with some guys in a loose band situation, that might not be at all necessary.
 
#16
Taking lessons is like parenting -you don't really know what it is, until you have done it. There are bad teachers out there, that can ruin your love for music, but there are also really good ones who will inspire you to achieve things you didn't even know about. Why not expand one's horizons? Seems obvious to me.

And b) anyone who takes lessons will tell you, you still have to do all the work yourself.
 
#18
I<34080 said:
I'm self taught. Its the best route in my opinion. It let's you develop your own playing style, rather than learning someone elses way. Just ask somebody like [Name removed], the stuff I'm playing now is wayy different than most. I couldn't even tell you the names of some of the chords I've thrown into my own songs. Just goof around till it sounds cool!
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Self-taught implies learning. This is just dumb.
 
#20
BullHorn said:
I'm self-taught and I have so many bad habits it makes me cry.
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Good point ! I think all noobs to bass (or any instrument) can only benefit from some lessons, especially as far as technique is concerned. It is something that is best learned by being shown. Yes, you can be shown technique on You Tube, but the guy on the clip cant correct or show you if/when you are going wrong. Bass especially, is such a physical instrument that good technique is important both from a playing aspect and for avoiding wrist/hand/finger problems.

As for theory, as has been said already, some people do fine by themselves, while others do better with lessons. Most people develop their own style, regardless of the learning route they take.

Once you are learning and making progress, I dont see how the method used, is anything to brag about.
 

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